Cong leaders: Incomes falling, prices, woes rising

NT Correspondent

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) staged a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Monday for an ‘Inflation-free India.’

“The rise in prices of everything from petrol, diesel, cooking oil, fertilizer and cement has made the lives of people difficult,” a statement by the KPCC read. “Today, we are all speaking against price rise. The Centre raised fuel prices right after the conclusion of the five Assembly elections. If the price of fuel and essential commodities go up after every election, then it will lead to a dire situation. Mr Modi promised to double farmers’ incomes. However, wherever I go, I only hear about decline in incomes,” KPCC president DK Shivakumar said. He added that the rise in fuel prices is unprecedented. “The rate of cooking gas went up from Rs 410 to Rs 1,000, petrol from Rs 68 to Rs 111 per litre, diesel from Rs57 to Rs97 per litre, cooking oil from Rs 90 to Rs 210,” Shivkumar said.

The KPCC president went on to slam the BJP-led Central government on a variety of issues, including alleged mismanagement of the pandemic and its ‘promotion’ of communal intolerance.

Former CM Siddaramaiah termed the BJP government at the Centre a factory of lies. “Ever since Mr Modi became the Prime Minister, he has done nothing but lie. Of all the PMs who have come and gone, no one has lied this much,” Siddaramaiah said. The former CM also pointed out that it was Modi and BJP who had criticized the Manmohan Singh-led government over fuel price hike. “During Dr Manmohan Singh’s time, the duty on diesel was Rs3.46 and on petrol it was Rs9.20. Today, it is Rs31.84 on diesel and Rs32.98 on petrol. This is not happening because of the international rise in prices of crude oil. It is extortion by the Modi government. It is daylight robbery.’’

“Modi has made Rs26 lakh crore from excise duty on fuel since becoming PM. For the sake of the commoner and farmers, slash excise duty. Bring diesel prices down by Rs10,” he demanded.

“What good did Modi do for farmers, the poor, youth and women of this country? Show me one promise of this regime that has been fulfilled since the past eight years?,” the Opposition leader asked.